The present invention generally relates to multimedia information processing systems and more particularly to methods and apparatus for designing a visual representation determined from an input media object, where the visual representation can be used to construct an output media object.
With the rapid growth of computers, an increasing amount of information is being stored in the form of electronic (or digital) documents. These electronic documents include multimedia documents that store multimedia information. The term “multimedia information” is used to refer to information that may comprise information of one or more types. The one or more types may be in some integrated form. For example, multimedia information may include a combination of text information, graphics information, animation information, sound (audio) information, video information, and the like. Multimedia information is also used to refer to information comprising one or more media objects where the one or more media objects include information of different types. For example, media objects included in multimedia information may comprise text information, graphics information, animation information, sound (audio) information, video information, and the like. An example of media object may be a video that includes time variant information. For example, the video may include a sequence of key frames over a period of time.
Typically, the media object is stored in electronic storage. The media object may then be accessed from the electronic storage when a user wants to play the multimedia information included in the media object. Storing the media object in electronic storage is sometimes not convenient. For example, a device allowing access to the electronic storage may not be available. Also, the electronic storage device may not be portable and thus cannot be easily moved. Accordingly, access to a media object stored on an electronic storage device may not always be possible. Thus, the places a user may play the media object may be restricted. For example, the user may be restricted to only playing a media object on his/her desktop computer because the media object is stored on the computer's hard drive.
A popular display medium is paper. For example, photos are often displayed on paper because of its high resolution, ease of handling, portability, and no power consumption. One attempt at representing multimedia information on paper is printing the multimedia information in flipbooks. Flipbooks include a different piece of multimedia information that is printed on successive pieces of paper. Thus, when the user flips through the papers, the multimedia information appears as if it is being played back.
Flipbooks include many disadvantages. For example, a large amount of paper is used for the construction of these books. Additionally, flipping through a flipbook may also make the multimedia information hard to understand. Further, a flipbook is designed to only represent graphical multimedia information. Thus, information, such as audio, cannot be represented in a flipbook.
A method of creating a visual representation from an input media object is disclosed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/954,069, filed concurrently with the present application, entitled METHOD FOR ENCODING MEDIA OBJECTS TO A STILL VISUAL REPRESENTATION and a method of decoding the visual representation to create an output media object is disclosed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/953,439, filed concurrently with the present application, entitled METHOD FOR DECODING AND RECONSTRUCTING MEDIA OBJECTS FROM A STILL VISUAL REPRESENTATION. The design of the visual representation can be performed using many combinations of parameters. Accordingly, apparatus and methods for designing visual representations for multimedia information are desired.